Picture Perfect
by Gothic984
Summary: Gail deals with her feelings for Lucas after the events of New Year and Caleb begins to enjoy spending time with his father.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories Emotion, Old Friends, Family, Difficult Decisions, Reflection, Spirit, Acceptance, Whole Again, Homecoming, Oh Father, Birthday Surprises, Misguided Feelings and New Year.

Selena Coombs stood on the side porch of the Buck Mansion wearing nothing but a red silk robe, staring out into the vast garden with unease. The cold wind blew through her caramel blonde her and danced over her bare legs; therefore, she tied the robe tighter around her body trying to make her body stop shivering. The garden before her had an eerie feel and she always felt uncomfortable in it.

'It's a good job you're not alone isn't it Miss Coombs?' Lucas whispered in her ear, as he placed his hands on her hips and pulled her back into him.

Selena let out a low moan as he moved her hair to one side and began biting her neck playfully, she turned around and stroked his bare chest with her fingers then pulled his face to hers for a passionate kiss. When he moved his hands to her robe, she leaned back slightly to allow him to open it and reveal her toned naked body.

She smiled when he looked at her with appreciation then he began to kiss and nip at her breasts. After all he had put her through over the years and the many times he had just discarded her, she still knew she would bow to his needs whenever he required her to.

The feeling of his lips on her bare skin felt exquisite and she allowed herself to enjoy his tongue on her for a moment longer, before pulling a knife she had strategically placed on the porch rail and drove it into his back with all her strength. Selena watched as Lucas gave her one last look of betrayal, then collapsed on the floor with a pool of blood gathering around his body.

'A knife in the back...seriously?' Gail asked finishing her fifth glass of wine behind Jimmy's Bar with Selena.

'What's wrong with that? There was intimacy in that one and the element of surprise...' Selena said refilling both of their glasses, '...Come on then, how would you do it?'

Gail laughed and picked up her glass. She did not know why she had ended up with Selena out here discussing how they would kill Lucas Buck, when she initially came here for a few quiet drinks with Ben; however, she was enjoying herself. 'Alright, let's see...a knife or gun would be too messy and I suppose I'd respect him enough to face him when I did it, rather than stabbing him in the back...' she said taking a large sip of her wine, '...I think I'd possibly go for poison, that way I could choose if I wanted it to be quick or whether to make him suffer over a prolonged period of time'

Selena smiled at her nemesis's answer, the woman was even more cold than she was. 'If you had to choose right now between quick or suffering, which way would you go?...Just out of curiosity of course' she asked and drank a large portion of her drink.

Gail sighed and considered for a moment, she was still having nightmares over the mangled bodies she had found the month previous which she knew he was involved in; therefore, she did not have much sympathy for her lover at this moment in time. 'The latter' she said without much pause, then stood up and walked towards the pier rail.

'Ouch...he really has done something to piss you off hasn't he?' Selena asked and followed Gail, taking care not to get too close after her nemesis had convinced her to jump a few months ago.

'Drop it Selena' she warned and watched the soothing ripples in the water below her.

Gail had been performing her tasks in a haze all month after what happened at New Year and the only person who did not seem to be irritating her was Selena. This woman did not care if she broke down or snapped, she did not feel the need to constantly ask her how she was doing and she did not need anything from her, these traits made her Gail's favorite person of late. She knew Selena could be vindictive and bitter; however, at least she did not hide her true self, which was something Gail was not sure even she could say these days.

'Gail?' Selena repeated at the unresponsive woman before her.

'Huh?'

Selena laughed and shook her head. 'I was saying that I couldn't give a damn about what's going on with you two; however, if we are going to keep getting wasted like this, I could do with some warning so I can ditch my boyfriend'

'What did I do to make you wanna ditch me?' Billy asked confused, coming around the corner with Ben.

'Nothing honey...she's just more fun drunk than you are'

Gail laughed and rolled her eyes. This party had gotten too crowded for her liking so she decided to leave. 'Well as true as that is, I think I'm done for the night...Ben, are you gonna be alright with these two reprobates?' she asked sarcastically.

'I'll be fine Gail, but don't you want me to walk with you?' Ben asked concerned, after what had happened last month he was reluctant to let her walk on her own.

'Don't be silly, you lot have a good night and I'll talk to you tomorrow' she said picking up her bag and walking past them. The fresh air would do her some good and should hopefully sober her up by the time she found a ride home.

Gail walked down the pier casually, enjoying the peace and quiet. Her life had gotten too full of people that wanted to be involved with her and she felt as though she was drowning. If you added all the issues she had to deal with regarding her sociopathic lover, she was just about ready to break and she needed everybody to just back off.

Due to the amount she had drank, Gail had to make a conscious effort to try and walk in a straight line as she was coming off the pier and she nearly fell over when the familiar navy blue Crown Victoria car pulled up in front of her. 'God damn it Lucas!' she snapped and placed her hands on the car to steady herself.

Lucas laughed to himself and wound down his window. 'You strugglin' there Darlin'?' he asked amused at her undignified manner.

Gail stood up straight and pulled down her short maroon dress, then wrapped her black cardigan around her chest to shield herself from the cold. 'I'm fine and dandy Sheriff...you wanna get outta my way?' she asked, trying to hide her irritation.

Lucas shook his head and got out of the car. He gently took hold of her arm and lead her around the back of the car, in an attempt to get her to the passenger side; however, she pulled free of his grasp and stubbornly leaned against the boot of his car. 'Get in the car Gail...' he ordered, '...You're drunk and are in no state to get home on your own'

Gail smiled defiantly and crossed her arms. 'Not a chance, I'm more than capable of finding a way home and I'd be safer out here than with you' she said and tried to walk past him.

Lucas grabbed her arm tighter this time and pushed her against the boot of the car. Although they were still together after what had happened with his rage the previous month, she was getting more and more defiant as the days went by. There was something about her defiance which excited him though and he suddenly felt the urge to be with her. 'I don't know what game you're tryin' to play Miss Emory, but I like it' he said and moved closer to her so his body pinned her to the car.

Gail narrowed her eyes at him unimpressed, then shook her head. 'This is no game Lucas, let me go' she demanded, but it appeared her words were falling on deaf ears.

Lucas disregarded her demanding tone, she had played this game before and he knew she craved him as much as he did her. 'Come again Darlin'?...I didn't quite catch that' he said unzipping his pants and pulling out his manhood.

Gail felt her desire for him try to rise within her but she pushed it back down, she was still not sure what she felt about him and the things he had done; therefore, she was not in the mood for this right now. 'No Lucas' she said sternly, but felt herself being lifted up against the boot of the car and her legs spread open.

This resistance she was attempting to display only served to arouse him more and he could not hold back any longer. When he had situated her behind on the boot and spread her legs with ease, he ripped off her panties then thrust himself inside of her.

Gail felt his rough entry and slapped him hard across the face for not listening to her, then could not help but wrap her legs around his waist. She could feel his teeth bite at her neck and she ripped his shirt open so she could claw at his chest. She was not proud of what she was allowing him to do, especially when she had said no; however, part of her enjoyed this treatment, no matter how demeaning it was.

Lucas reached around to grip her behind so he could push deeper inside her, he sensed she had finally accepted this act and began to quicken his movements. It did not take long for him to reach his climax, due to the intensity of the act and he exploded within her. He continued his thrusts for a moment longer until she buried her head into his shoulder to stifle her cry, then rested her forehead on his.

Gail panted heavily and inhaled deeply trying to catch her breath, she had not intended this to happen especially not like this and she was furious at the way this had played out. Something dark rose within her and with her head still resting on his, she raised her hands to his throat then began to squeeze.

Lucas felt her hands close around his throat and the shortness of breath that followed. He raised his head to look at her and became curious at the look of malice in her eyes. 'Somethin' I said Darlin'?' he whispered, unfazed by this display.

Gail tightened her grip on his throat and stared at him intently. 'It's clear to me now...this is how I'd do it' she said calmly.

'Do what Gail?' he asked curiously.

'Kill you...I'd strangle you just like this' she said, in a voice unlike her own.

Lucas felt his manhood become hard again inside her and lifted his head up slightly, so their lips were virtually touching. 'I appreciate your honesty and not doing it behind my back Darlin'...It takes a certain amount of courage to kill a man face to face' he said and ran his hands up her bare legs that were still wrapped around him, then slowly pushed himself deeper inside of her.

Gail let out a soft moan and tightened her grip on his neck even more. 'I'd never hide my intention, you have my word on that...This is how it would go down and you would see it coming'

Lucas smiled and began to move in and out of her gently. This display of hers was unexpected to say the least; however, her lack of fear at this type of action meant she was openly giving in to her dark side and that was intriguing. 'I couldn't think of a more enjoyable way to go' he said speeding up his movements and let out a loud moan when her hands loosened on his neck then clawed at his chest again.

Gail felt the darkness within her and could not resist the intense pleasure that he was giving her, she moved her hands to claw at his back and kissed him passionately as he thrust in and out of her again. She had nothing to say to him and just wanted this no matter what the consequences would be. she sensed his release gathering within him and could feel her orgasm building. When she was ready to burst she forced her lips on his to stifle her yell and allowed him to kiss her softly when they had reached their climax together.

Lucas rested his head on her chest and listened to the quickness of her heartbeat, he smiled when she tangled her fingers in his hair and kissed her chest affectionately. 'I don't know why you deny me when it's this good Gail' he said pulling out of her and handing her a handkerchief, when he sensed someone was heading in their direction walking a dog at the other end of the pier.

Gail sat on the boot of the car for a moment, cursing herself for giving in then jumped down and began cleaning herself up. 'This has to stop...' she sighed and ran her hands through her hair, '...you need to give me space to figure things out'

Lucas shook his head and pointed to the front passenger seat of the car. He was choosing to disregard any attempt she made of pulling away after what it had pushed his rage to do earlier in the month and had decided to just keep being how he was. 'Get in the car Gail, your dependents will be worrying about you'

Gail stumbled towards the passenger side and obediently got in, she was getting sick of him ignoring her wishes; however, she was too drunk to deal with this right now, so she would just allow him to take her home.

* * *

Merlyn stood in the kitchen making her cousin a large cup of coffee, she had heard Gail stumble in late last night and had noticed she had not yet arisen from bed. When Lucas walked into the kitchen unexpectedly buttoning up his shirt, Merlyn froze on the spot.

'Mornin' Merlyn-Ann...you didn't have to make me that' he said smugly and took the cup of coffee out of her hand.

Merlyn looked at him for a moment shocked by his presence, then let out a long sigh. 'Gail won't be impressed that you're here' she said irritated and turned to make another cup of coffee for her cousin.

Lucas laughed and leaned against the kitchen counter. 'Who do you think brought her here safe last night Missy? You're lucky really, I nearly took her to my home where she belongs but I considered you pair being left on your own...I must be gettin' soft in my old age'

Merlyn shook her head at his insinuation that he actually cared about them; however, before she could comment her brother entered the room and she rolled her eyes as he rushed to be by Lucas's side.

'What are you doin' here?' Caleb asked glancing around the kitchen for some breakfast expectantly, then leaned against the counter with Lucas when he found nothing had been made for him.

'I had some business with that ol' cousin of yours son, now that it's done you wanna spend the day with me?' he asked taking a sip of coffee.

'Do I?...' Caleb started excitedly.

'He has school' Merlyn interrupted, willing Gail to get up so she did not have to deal with these two alone.

'I don't think Miss Coombs is gonna mind one less child to deal with today, especially with the state she's gonna be in after the night she had with your cousin' Lucas said knowingly.

'He's right...' Gail said entering the kitchen and gave Lucas a disdainful look, she had sensed Merlyn required help and it had woken her from her slumber. '...Miss Coombs would probably find it a blessing not having to deal with this boys antics; however, when have I ever been concerned about what Miss Coombs wants?'

Lucas knew the question was directed at him, so approached Gail and fastened the robe she wearing around her tightly. 'Considerin' you're the one that got her in the sorry state she's in, I thought you might feel a little responsible for her sufferin' Darlin''

Gail laughed bitterly and took a step closer to him so their bodies were almost touching. 'Do you feel responsible for my suffering Sheriff?'

Lucas smiled and shrugged. 'We can't have you gettin' used to an easy life Miss Emory, it's not in your nature to stick around somewhere for that'

Gail shook her head disapprovingly, then moved towards Merlyn and took the cup of coffee that the girl held out for her. 'If Caleb wants to go, then I'll allow it this once' she said taking a much needed sip of her coffee.

'But Gail...' Merlyn went to protest.

'Come on Lucas!' Caleb said grabbing the mans arm and dragging him out of the kitchen, before his cousin had time to change her mind.

Lucas shot Gail a distrustful glance over his shoulder, then left with his boy. He too did not want to give her chance to change her mind; however, the ease in which this went down did not sit right with him.

'Since when are you happy for them to spend time together?' Merlyn asked annoyed.

Gail forced a laugh then went in search of some headache tablets in her cupboards, she had been tossing and turning all night with dreams about mangled bodies and being hungover would not help her at all today. 'I'm happy for Caleb to distract Lucas while we do what we need to do today' she said letting out a sigh of relief when she found some tablets.

'Which is what exactly?'

'You'll see' Gail said then signaled for Merlyn to go and get ready.

* * *

Abe sat in his rocking chair on the front porch, with a glass of pure apple juice. The cold air was making his old bones stiff; therefore, he had chosen not to open his store today and took the day off. Recently he had experienced unusual aches and pains which he put down to his old age, he supposed he should look to employ someone to help with his business but he was stubborn and did not like the thought of depending on a strangers help.

'There are no strangers in this town' Gail said sweetly, approaching the front porch with Merlyn.

'Rosie!' Abe exclaimed in pleasant surprise and got up from his rocking chair to meet her.

'Sit down old man...' Gail ordered sarcastically and put her arm around him to help him back to his chair. '...You remember M don't you?'

The truth was Abe's memory was starting to fade more and more these days; however, he did not want to worry his Rosie and the girl did look familiar, so he just smiled. 'Of course I do...what are you doin' here? Not that I don't appreciate your company'

Gail smiled and sat down on the chair next to him. Abe was one of the few links she had left to her parents, she had been worried about him when she drove past his store and saw it was not open; therefore, decided to come and check on him. 'I was just in the neighborhood so I thought I'd stop by...' she lied, '...You're looking a little pale, are you feeling OK?'

Abe forced a reassuring smile and nodded, then signaled for the young girl M to come join them on his porch. 'This girl has a look of you when you were younger Rosie'

Merlyn glanced at Gail alarmed as only a few people knew her true identity, then relaxed when her cousin just shrugged off the comment. 'I like your garden' Merlyn said trying to change the subject.

'With my Berta gone, I try and keep up with it as much as I can...she loved her flowers, just like my Rosie'

Gail smiled and turned towards Merlyn. 'Berta was Uncle Abe's wife, she died a long time ago...Maybe I should come around more often to help with the upkeep of this place'

'Don't be silly Rosie, you have too much on your plate gunnin' for Lucas Buck' Abe said knowingly.

'I wouldn't have to work so hard if you just gave up some details on him, then I could spend all my time here with you' Gail said sweetly, knowing he loved spending time with her.

'Mind your tongue petal, I'm old but I ain't stupid...don't think you can fool me so easily. Besides, you got in with that boy willingly, the consequences of that are your own and you can't hope to redeem yourself now' Abe said in a scolding manner.

'That boy you're referrin' to is an evil man' Merlyn interjected, unable to hold her tongue.

Abe laughed and shook his head. 'I've known Lucas Buck since he was a young boy and I'll always remember how he was back then...Don't take me for naive little girl, I know what I know and I don't condone anyone's actions, includin' my Rosie's in her progression up the Reporter ladder...People are who they are, I suggest you just focus on yourself like I do and there'll be no problems here for you in this town'

Merlyn looked at Gail in disgust, who just rolled her eyes. 'How can you turn a blind eye to everythin' that goes on here? It's people like you that make him as strong as he is and feed his lack of morality'

'It's people like me who built the foundations of this town Missy and there's always been a Buck here for us to contend with!' Abe snapped, then realized what he had said and stopped talking.

'Is that so?' Gail asked curiously and sat upright in her chair, it appeared her not so dead cousin was proving useful to her after all and she had managed to get more information from her Uncle Ape in a few minutes than she had in months.

'Just ignore my old ramblings, my head ain't what it used to be' Abe said trying to back track.

Gail laughed and stood up, then placed a soft kiss on Abe's forehead. 'You're old Uncle, not stupid...' she said using his own words against him, '... I think I need to go to the Library...I'll try and stop by later'

Abe stood up and tried to follow her, knowing how much trouble her curiosity could get her in. 'Rosie wait!...I'm not well and I need you to stay'

Gail turned towards him and shook her head. 'Oh please, as if I'm falling for that...I'll tell you what though, M here can stay with you while I go complete some errands'

'What?...' Merlyn asked confused and rushed towards Gail, '...I thought I was helpin' you?'

Gail placed an affectionate arm around her cousins shoulder and pulled her close. 'Believe me you are...' she whispered in her ear, '...you've made more head way with him in this short time than I have in months, he knows where all the bodies are hidden here in Trinity and you appear to loosen his tongue. Besides, you want education and this man has a lot of experience to share...it'll do you some good to spend time with someone other than our screwed up family'

'What are you whisperin' to that girl about?...I don't want her here!' Abe yelled from the porch.

'Will you do this for me?' Gail asked and smiled when Merlyn sighed. 'Good girl...You behave now Uncle, I gotta go' she called at Abe and gave Merlyn an affectionate squeeze before heading to her car.

Merlyn watched in annoyance as Gail got in her red Mustang and drove away, it appeared she had been left babysitting an old man while her cousin got to have some fun.

'Get up here girl, there's no point in pining for her...I guess we're stuck together today' Abe said sitting back down on his rocking chair irritated.

'I guess we are' Merlyn sighed unimpressed and walked back up the porch steps.

-To be continued-


	2. Chapter 2

Caleb sat in the back seat of the police cruiser staring thoughtfully out of the window, he was admiring the scenery of their small town and was happy to be patrolling with his father rather than stuck in school. He knew he should not feel this way; however, he really liked spending time with Lucas, even if it was just patrolling with him and Ben, he was amazed his cousin had allowed him to skip school to do just that.

Gail had been acting strange for a long time, Merlyn had just noticed it recently but Caleb had seen the change in his cousin months ago. You never knew how something was going to play out with her these days, she would either scold you for not taking school work seriously or just let you skip it completely with no consequences. He had initially thought that she did not care what he did and was just acting how everyone else expected her to, then she would look at him all wounded if he defied her wishes which made it seem like she did care.

Although having his sister around was nice and he would never change that if he could, having her around did not help things for him as it meant there were two confusing girls for him to contend with. He was finding he craved time with Lucas a lot more recently just to get some sanity into his life, as the women he lived with were crazy.

'What are you smilin' at back there son?' Lucas asked from the front passenger seat.

Caleb had not realized his thoughts were showing outward and he tried to pull a straight face. 'Nothin' sir, just thinkin' is all'

'You know that cousin of yours is always thinkin' and keepin' things to herself just like that, it must run in the family' Ben said sarcastically from the drivers side of the car.

Caleb shrugged, 'I don't care about keepin' secrets...I was just thinkin' I like this time with you two, as the girls in my life are crazy sometimes'

Both Ben and Lucas looked at each other in shock with the comment, then burst out laughing. 'Aww man if you think those two are nuts now, wait 'til you grow up and have to deal with women then' Ben said while laughing and trying to watch the road.

'Best thing you can do with those to son is keep your head down and just get through it...Believe me, I feel your sufferin'' Lucas said, thinking about how Gail had been with him recently.

'Maybe I should just stay with you and let them work it out between them' Caleb said, not meaning to say his thought out loud.

Lucas smiled cunningly, 'That option is always available son...my door is always open to you'

'You wouldn't wanna leave your cousin Gail alone though would you? Surely not with all the trouble she manages to get herself in to' Ben interjected, then turned back towards the road when he spotted Lucas's look of warning.

Caleb considered Ben's comment for a moment then nodded. 'You're right I can't just leave her, she needs me and I am the man of the house after all...Is that Boone's house?' he asked curiously as they pulled up at his friends family farmhouse.

Lucas looked towards the house and nodded. 'It most certainly is son, I have some business to discuss with Boone's father that'll only take a minute...You wanna come up with me?'

Caleb looked at Ben who just shrugged at him, then he got out of the car with Lucas. Boone was in school so he had no business being here; however, he was curious as to what Lucas might be doing with his friends father and decided to accompany him to find out what was going on.

Lucas smiled as Caleb followed him closely, it appeared his son was curious about his dealings and this was a good time to educate the boy on how things should benefit him in the future.

* * *

Gail sat in the archive section of the public library, she had been searching for a log book of some sort about past residents in Trinity. She knew one existed as her mother had shown her it when she was helping her with a report for school before she died and although Gail did not hold out much hope about the Buck family lineage being detailed in there, it was as good a place to start as any.

Gail kept thinking back to what Abe had said, it took her back to the incident with Caleb and the loss of her child. Caleb had stated that there could be only one Buck in every generation, she had disregarded the comment as a grief stricken child who had lost his father; however, deep down she had known there was something underlying, which she was not sure that she wanted to uncover.

This town had always had a Buck to contend with, which indicated that the family did not just arrive in Trinity decades ago. The Emory family had been around since the town had been founded, she knew that from her grandfathers teachings when she was younger; however, he had never mentioned the Buck family. Having reviewed all the archived articles for her parents previously, it was obvious that her father had always been gunning for Lucas and that type of hatred did not just develop over night.

Gail started to wonder what drove her father to his hatred for Lucas Buck and if the families had ever crossed paths previously. She got up from her seated position and carefully pulled the talisman she had found in the Wicka Store in Goat Town out of her backpack and turned it over curiously in her fingers. Did she follow the talisman lead or Abe's? Did she focus on the elusive R.B who's gravestone was at the back of Lucas's house, or does she continue with the Wicka Store which she felt was linked to Lucas's mother? She had gone from having no leads to a number of different ones and she was unsure which path she should follow.

One thing was certain, she had gotten as far as she could in the public Library; therefore, she chose to head for her car and see where the drive would take her.

* * *

Caleb followed Lucas back to the car, curious as to what he had just witnessed. 'So let me get this straight, Boone's daddy owes you for somethin' you did for him a long time ago?'

Lucas smiled and patted his son on the shoulder. 'When you get older you'll come to realize that everyone has a price...there's always somethin' that somebody wants and if you're the man that can give it to them, well you become the most sought after man in town'

'I don't get why you'd give him anythin'' Caleb said confused.

'Well son it's not just money that will get you through life, a man needs respect among other things...for example, if I do somethin' for Boone's dad he owes me. Now I might not need anythin' in return at that moment in time, but when I do he's bound by our deal and has to deliver'

Caleb nodded, he was beginning to understand now. 'What happens if he doesn't deliver?' he asked curiously.

Lucas's smile grew wider and he wrapped his arm around his son. 'There are consequences to everythin' Caleb, I know your cousin has taught you that'

'Yes sir' Caleb agreed, thinking back to all the times Gail had lectured him about the importance of certain things and the bad things that could happen if he did not follow certain rules.

'Well it's the same thing here...' Lucas continued as they reached the car, '...if a person has accepted my help but then refuses to adhere to the terms of our deal, there will be consequences'

Caleb considered this for a moment, he knew people were scared of Lucas and he had never understood why. He supposed this could be the reason why he was so feared. 'Do people ever get hurt?'

Lucas shrugged, 'Sometimes...does that bother you?'

Caleb leaned against the car door and sighed. 'I guess not, people should stick to what was agreed I suppose...You've never hurt anyone close to me have you?' he asked curiously.

Lucas laughed, 'Son the people close to you should know better than to come askin' for my help and even if they did, they're so honorable that they would always pay up'

Caleb smiled and got in the car, he felt like he could learn so much more just from being with Lucas than being in school.

* * *

Matt Crower walked casually along the pier with a cup of coffee in his hand, taking in the beautiful scenery. He had hoped Gail would join him on his day off; however, she was busy, so he was left to his own devices today and was enjoying some peace and quiet. It had been a strange couple of months since he had been released from Juniper House and he was finally beginning to settle back into his old role, he did not know why he had deserved another chance but he was thankful he had gotten one.

Matt caught sight of Nurse Rita slumped on a bench facing the water and sighed, from her body language it was clear something was wrong and it was evident his peaceful day was about to get disturbed. 'Rita?' Matt called walking towards her and spotted her quickly wiping her eyes.

Rita stood up after she had ensured the tears had been wiped away and forced a smile. 'Afternoon Matt, fancy seeing you here on my day off'

Matt smiled warmly, 'I like to walk here when I get a chance as it's soothing and peaceful...Are you OK?' he asked concerned.

Rita laughed in an attempt to hide how upset she was and could see Matt was not buying it. 'It's nothin' you wanna concern yourself with, you've had to deal with enough drama in this town and you don't need mine'

Matt placed his arm around her shoulder reassuringly and started to walk with her. 'Luckily you've caught me on a day where I have no drama, so spit it out Rita' he ordered.

Rita did not want to bother Matt with her problems, ideally she needed a woman to talk to; however, she had no close friends and desperately needed to confide in someone. 'I'm pregnant' she spat out before she could stop herself.

Matt stopped walking and sighed, this was not for him to get involved in and he cursed his caring nature. 'I don't know what to say...How do you feel?'

'Like I'm about ready to explode' she laughed and walked towards the pier rail to look out into the water.

Matt shook his head, he did not know what he was supposed to do here and apart from Gail he was not used to getting involved in a woman's problem. He could tell Rita needed some advice; however, he certainly was not the right person to give it. 'You know what, I want another coffee and I know the perfect coffee shop for us to go to' he said and signaled for Rita to follow him.

Rita did not want coffee, she felt sick and emotional but she could see Matt was only trying to help. 'Why not? I have nowhere else to be at this moment in time' she said and followed him off the pier.

* * *

Gail had automatically drove to her Uncle Abe's place, she said she was checking in on Merlyn; however, she wanted to have a look at what old books he kept in storage in his attic. She had obtained an old photo album which she had taken and informed them she would be back for Merlyn later, she was happy that they appeared to be getting along and it meant she had more time to investigate things in peace.

She now found herself pulling up in town, searching for a place to grab a quick bite to eat. She had left without having any breakfast this morning and had only now realized how hungry she was. Gail spotted Matt sat with Rita at her favorite coffee shop and decided that place was as good as any for her to settle for half an hour.

Gail entered the shop discreetly and ordered a toasted bagel with a latte, then went and sat down next to Matt.

'I thought you'd never turn up...' Matt said giving her a quick kiss on the cheek and standing up, '...I've gotta go, but you ladies have fun'

Gail watched confused as Matt winked at her then rushed off down the street. 'Did I miss something?' she asked.

Rita forced a smile and took a sip of her drink. 'I think he just wants to get as far away from me as he can'

Gail could sense something was off with Rita; however, she did not have time to get involved in any drama. She was just about to make an excuse to leave when her bagel and latte came. 'Well it looks like you've got me for a little while now, what's up?' she asked reluctantly, taking a bit out of her bagel.

Rita regarded Gail carefully, Ben had told her that she was going through some things which had put her in a foul mood recently; however, the woman had always been nice to her and she had often wished they could become close friends, with how close she was to Ben. 'I'm sure you don't wanna hear my problems' she said and tried to hold back her tears.

Gail laughed and sighed, 'I'm sure you're right but you're clearly upset and Matt wouldn't have left you with me if he didn't think I could help'

'I'm pregnant Gail' she said and stared into her drink.

Gail closed her eyes and shook her head, she really did not want to get involved with this and she was going to kill Matt for putting her in this position. She could sense how upset Rita was and could relate, she was devastated when she had found out she was pregnant and was surrounded by people who tried to make her feel like she was crazy for thinking that way. 'First things first...' she said trying to bring some order into the conversation, '...Is it Ben's?'

'Of course!' Rita said shocked.

Gail nodded, relieved at the answer. 'OK...do you want it?'

Rita paused, the truth was she did not know. Her relationship with Ben was fine; however, she did not know where it was going and Ben already had a child.

'I didn't ask if he wanted it Rita, I asked if you did?' Gail said reading her mind.

Rita could feel herself getting emotional and tears began to form in her eyes.

'Oh no, don't you dare!...' Gail exclaimed picking up her bagel and pulling Rita up, '...You have too much self respect to cry like a child in public. Come on, let's go to my car'

Rita was thankful for Gail's intervention, she had grown up in this town and knew how bad the gossip would be if she had been caught crying in a local coffee shop. 'I'm sorry to dump this on you Gail' she sobbed as she got into the front passenger side of the Mustang.

Gail walked around to the drivers side, surveying the area to ensure they had not been spotted and got in when she was happy no-one was watching them. She sat silent for a moment and let Rita cry, she knew from being in that situation the woman just needed to let it out then she could begin to think clearly. When the sobbing became less intense, Gail turned the engine on and started driving down the road.

'Where are we goin'?' Rita asked, wiping away her tears.

Gail signaled at a junction and turned down a long stretch of road which led to the residential area of Trinity. 'Well I need somewhere private to work and you need somewhere private to think...There's only one place in this town that I know I'll never get disturbed by prying eyes' she said and put her foot down on the gas.

* * *

Lucas had authorized their shift to end early, seen as he had Caleb for the day; therefore, they had all decided to go fishing. Lucas was happy for the time to relax with his boy and with his Deputy being present, he knew Gail would never accuse him of trying to corrupt Caleb. 'So in what way is Rita actin' strange?' he asked Ben and leaned back in his chair.

Ben sighed and fixed the position of his fishing rod, then leaned back in his chair like Lucas. 'Aww hell, one minute she's annoyed at me and the next she's laughin'...I don't think I'm destined to find a normal woman'

'Lucas says all women are crazy' Caleb interjected, drinking a can of pop.

Lucas laughed, he had come to the realization years ago that the opposite sex would never be normal to him. He had intimate experiences with two completely different woman, not counting his other lesser accomplishments, and they all inevitably turned crazy. Selena was her own special brand of nuts and Gail is just off the charts, it had always been easier for him to just ride it out and wait for them to come to their senses. 'Women are special son and not all crazy is bad...What Ben needs to do if figure out a way to have fun with it, just like I have'

Ben sat up in the chair and looked at Lucas, he did not think this was the type of conversation they should be having around a young boy.

Lucas waved off Ben's judgmental stare and brought the conversation back down to an acceptable level for Caleb. 'My point is that you need to just accept it Benji, all woman are like this and it ain't gonna change...You need to figure out what's turnin' Rita's moods, then just do the opposite'

'How's that workin' out with your other half Lucas?' Ben asked knowingly.

Lucas laughed and sat up. 'My other half is somethin' completely different, be thankful you only have mundane issues to deal with'

Caleb was not paying much attention to what was being discussed, he was just enjoying the time he was spending with both men and he was more focused on catching something he could take home for dinner tonight.

Lucas sensed Caleb's attention was elsewhere and turned towards Ben. 'In all seriousness, my companion is gettin' harder to control...Has she said anythin' to you about what's botherin' her?'

Ben sighed, he was close to Gail and had sworn he would never get involved in what these two got up to. It was unfortunate that he was also close to Lucas and it was hard to chose which one he should be more loyal to. 'Look, I'm in a crappy situation...she's my friend and you're my boss, I don't know what I'm supposed to do here'

Lucas smiled and leaned closer to Ben. 'You forget we've been partners for years before these other people you insist on befriending came to town Ben. Do I need to be concerned about your loyalty?'

Ben could feel himself getting uncomfortable under the pressure, Lucas was right and they had known each other for years. Even when Ben defied him over the past year Lucas had not disposed of him like he suspected he had disposed of others, he now wondered if that was due to the friendship they had always had. 'Alright Lucas... firstly I've never been disloyal, I've only ever been honest and searched for the truth. Secondly, she doesn't confide in me like she does Matt but she's been out drinkin' with me more recently so I assume somethin' is up with her'

Lucas nodded, he appreciated Ben's honesty even if his moral views were irritating at times. 'That's fine Benji, just makin' sure you know where your loyalty lies...'

'I got somethin'!' Caleb exclaimed, jumping up when he felt his line tug and started to carefully pull up his catch.

Lucas smiled at the pleasant interruption and Ben got up to see what Caleb had caught.

'It's a big one' Caleb said triumphantly when he pulled the fish out of the water.

'It looks like we know what we'll be having for dinner tonight' Lucas said and patted Caleb on the shoulder, proud of his son.

* * *

Gail left Rita in Lucas's study while she made her way to the Buck Mansion Library, Rita had been in awe of the place and Gail did not have time to deal with the woman's reaction when she had things to do. Lucas was always telling her that she was welcome here; therefore, she chose to assume Rita would be too but had ordered Gideon to watch the woman to ensure nothing strange happened.

When she located the Library, she entered it slowly and placed her family picture album on the table in the middle of the room. There was a calming presence which made her feel at ease in this section of the house, it made it easy for her to settle. She took out the talisman and placed it at the side of the book, then began to review the pages.

'Let's see what we have here' she said to herself and began inspecting the pictures. The book was really old and she was having to take extra care not to tear any of the pages, she smiled when she located a picture of her mother and father appearing to be happy together. It amazed her how a picture could portray happiness when the truth was so different. Gail continued to turn the pages trying not to get caught up in being sentimental, she was looking for something specific and she was sure she would now when she found it.

Suddenly a book fell off a shelf at the back of the room, the loud thud of the book hitting the floor made Gail jump and she instinctively began surveying the room to make sure she was alone. It appeared she was the only one in here so she took a deep breath and laughed. 'Stop being so damn paranoid' she said to herself and glanced at the picture on the page, it was of her grandfather and grandmother taken outside their house; however, there were three other people present.

Gail took the picture off the page carefully and held it up to the light, she recognized her uncle Abe and her aunt Bertha; however, there was a man in a black suit stood to the side of them. When she looked closer at the man, she spotted what appeared to be a clerical collar traditionally worn by a church official. Suddenly another bang came from the back of the room and Gail jumped up out of the seat.

'God damn it!' she said aloud and instinctively picked up the talisman. Sometimes she felt as though she was getting too comfortable in this place that she forgot about the weirdness that was present here. She moved towards the sound she had heard, trying to push down her fear and knelt down to pick up the two books which had fallen. Opening the books she found one was a history of the town and the other was a bible, she carefully placed the bible back on the shelf and returned to the table, then placed the history book in her backpack for future inspection.

Gail glanced at the picture she had previously been studying then closed the album and started to head out of the room. It appeared she had another lead to follow; however, she needed to see to the pregnant woman she had left in Lucas's study first, to enable her to be able to fully concentrate on her investigations.

-To be continued-


	3. Chapter 3

It was early evening and Lucas was sat in the back of the police cruiser with Caleb by his side, after they had caught dinner Caleb decided he wanted to do something else; therefore, they had decided to pick up Ben Jr from school and head to the Bowling Alley.

Ben had been reluctant to go along with this, stating Barbara Joy would have a fit as it was not his time to have the boy; however, Lucas assured him it would be fine. If the woman did have a fit later on, he would happily show his son how he controlled his townspeople and it would be a good lesson for the boy. Ben Jr had not been overly keen on getting in the car with his father until he saw Caleb in the back seat, Lucas opted to give up his seat in the front so each boy would be close the their own father.

Ben pulled up in front of the Bowling Alley, watched as the children rushed out of the car then turned towards Lucas. 'Are you sure this is gonna be alright with Barbara Joy and Gail? I have no desire to have two woman mad at me, it's bad enough with Rita'

Lucas shook his head and sighed. 'Have some faith Ben, you need to start showin' the women in your life who's boss' he said getting out of the car.

Ben shook his head and turned off the engine, all he wanted was an easy life and keeping both boys out past their curfew was not the way to do it. He trusted Lucas would smooth things over if required and got out of the car to have a nice unexpected evening with his son.

* * *

Selena walked over to the coffee pot on her kitchen counter and poured herself a large mug of black coffee, she had no idea how she had managed to teach her class with the hangover she was suffering with today; however, she had surprised herself and manage to keep her discomfort hidden. She had received some news from the Principle which meant more work for her and was supposed to review the report he had given her, but she could not concentrate with the banging headache she had.

Selena placed the cup of coffee on her kitchen table, then went to her bedroom to change into something more comfortable. She took off her small dress and pulled one of Billy's large sweaters over her, she returned to the kitchen wearing only the sweater then stopped in her tracks when she saw she had a visitor. 'Miss Emory, this is a surprise...since when do you visit my humble abode?'

Gail shook her head at what little Selena was wearing and tried to hold back her judgement on the woman. 'I was just in the neighborhood...So, you couldn't find anything shorter to wear?' she asked sarcastically

Selena just smiled and ran her hands up her bare legs suggestively. 'Why, see something you like Gail?'

Gail rolled her eyes and entered the kitchen fully. 'It depends...' she said calling her bluff, '...what have you got to offer?'

Selena regarded the woman carefully, they had shared a kiss on more than one drunken occasion and she never knew whether Gail was being serious. She had always been curious as to what this woman could possibly do for a man like Lucas Buck and if the offer arose she would not hesitate to find out. 'Are you bored with our lovely Sheriff already Miss Emory?'

'No...' she said shaking her head and moving closer to Selena, '...but I've never been afraid to try something different. You never know, maybe he'd like to join us'

Selena inhaled deeply, that had certainly been an experience she had dreamed about previously. 'Are you joking Gail?' she asked, truly unsure at this moment in time.

Gail shrugged, 'Are you?'

When Selena just stared at her, clearly unsure of what to say next Gail laughed. 'Of course I am...I'm here to talk about your father' she said sitting on the table.

Selena let out a sigh of relief and sat down next to her, had she not have been joking Selena would have had a lot of explaining to do to Billy. 'What would you have to talk about regarding my father?' she asked curiously.

'Your father was a Reverend in this town for a long time Selena'

'I'm aware of that Gail' Selena said taking a sip of her coffee.

'Good...so you'll be aware of other Reverends or Preachers that he may have encountered when you were younger?' she asked, watching Selena's reaction carefully.

Selena began to feel uncomfortable and stood up, she had no idea where this questioning was leading but she did not like it. 'I don't know Gail, it was all such a long time ago and I wasn't close to my father for many years'

'You weren't close to him after you allowed Lucas Buck to corrupt your life you mean?...' Gail asked knowingly and pulled out a picture from her backpack, '...I'm actually talking before then, look at this and tell me if you recognize anybody'

Selena took the picture and glanced over it, she instantly recognized two men; however, she did not let this show. 'That's an old picture, I don't know anybody in it'

Gail sensed the lie instantly and smiled, she had chosen to trust the unnatural feelings that were flowing through her recently and this made her pursuit of the truth easier. 'Being with Lucas for so long, I know you recognize his close friend Abraham and with your father being one of the most popular Reverends in Trinity I'm sure you can hazard a guess to the identity of the clergyman in that picture'

Selena stood up and pulled out a bottle of wine from her cupboard. 'You've got to know that I would never betray him Gail... not just because he would kill me, but because I am loyal to him' she said opening the bottle and pouring herself a glass. If Lucas even suspected she was having this conversation there would be hell to pay.

Gail laughed, Selena's reaction said it all and that was all the confirmation she required. 'You're not loyal to him Selena, you're obsessed...' Gail said feeling something dark come over. '...You've got to know he doesn't want you anymore and never will'

'You think he'll always want you Gail? He'll get bored of you quickly enough and discard you like he did me' Selena said slamming the glass down on the counter.

Gail stood up and started to walk towards the door, then turned back towards her and smiled. 'There's no chance of that friend, he's as obsessed as you are and he's not giving up no matter how much I push him away...Thanks for the confirmation by the way'

'Confirmation of what?' Selena snapped at her.

Gail shrugged and looked at the picture. 'Your reaction clearly means this man is important to Lucas, otherwise you wouldn't have taken the stance you have. So either this is the Buck of that generation, or someone close to the family...You have a good night Miss Coombs' she said and left the house.

Selena shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair in exasperation, that woman was infuriating and now she had to decide whether to give Lucas a heads up that she had unconsciously betrayed him or hope he would not find out.

* * *

Merlyn stood behind the counter in Abe's Antique store reading a book about dreams, the old man had convinced her that he was well enough to go to work and against her better judgement she had trusted him. It appeared his plan was to get her to watch the store while he lay out back relaxing, when she had called her cousin to inform her of this Gail had just laughed at her and told her to consider peoples motives next time before being so trusting.

Being here was a change of pace and although she had been fooled into this position, she was happy to be of help to someone. There had not been many customers and that gave her the opportunity to fully examine the place, while Abe had fallen asleep out back. She had looked around the main store room, then had crept around back to see what stuff he had kept hidden from the public and stumbled across the book on dreams she was currently reading.

When she had been suffering from nightmares a few months earlier, Gail had explained the importance of understanding her dreams and told her she had found literature when she was younger to help her try to interpret the nightmares she used to suffer from. Merlyn was aware her cousin was still suffering from bad dreams, as she had heard Gail call out in the middle of the night several times and was starting to think you could not escape bad dreams no matter how much you understood; however, some light reading on the subject could not hurt.

'And what light readin' would that be Missy?' Lucas asked leaning against the counter.

Merlyn looked up from her book unimpressed, she cursed herself for being so engrossed that she had not heard the bell above the door and closed the book. 'Why Sheriff, this is a surprise...' she said ignoring his question, '...Are you lookin' to purchase somethin'?'

Lucas turned the book she was reading to face him and smiled at the subject. 'Well I was just stoppin' in to pick up a gift for my girlfriend, you gotta keep 'em sweet you see...Have you got any suggestions?' he asked, sensing her resentment for him.

'Well there's a big huntin' knife over there, that might be beneficial for her when she decides to get rid of the vermin that's clingin' to her' Merlyn said sweetly.

'Aww come on Merlyn Ann, is that any way to be around your brothers father...You never know, we might actually be family one day' he said baiting her.

'Over my dead body!' she snapped.

'Oh that can be arranged Darlin'...'

'Cut it out boy...' Abe interrupted, '...you leave that poor girl alone'

Lucas laughed and turned towards his old friend. 'I was only playin' with her old man, you can't surely begrudge me my fun?'

Abe rolled his eyes at Lucas and went to the young girls side, he was not sure why she was so important to his Rosie or why Lucas liked to mess with her so much; however, he would not allow the girl to be tortured on his watch. 'I have nothin' against your fun Lucas, just don't do it around me or mine'

'Since when is this girl one of yours Abe?'

'Since she took a job helpin' me here, so you will heed my words boy' Abe said, becoming impatient at being woken up.

Merlyn watched closely as Lucas regarded the man angrily, then his features softened and he held his hands up in a surrendering motion. She had never seen Lucas back down and she was now very curious about their relationship these two had.

'Keep your curiosity to yourself Missy, I have enough to contend with from your cousin...' Lucas said to Merlyn then turned his attention back toward Abe, '...Go rest your bones old man, I'll be well behaved here'

Abe regarded Lucas suspiciously, then stroked the girls arms reassuringly and returned to his comfortable spot out back. All this commotion was wearing him out and he was not as young as he used to be.

'So that's it, you're gonna leave me alone?' Merlyn asked in disbelief.

Lucas shrugged, 'I'm not one to disrespect my elders if I can help it...You should consider that too Missy'

Merlyn shook her head in irritation, 'Will you stop callin' me that...I'm not your Missy!'

'You're whatever I say you are Merlyn Ann. I will honor his wishes for now, but if you step out of line all bets are off' Lucas said walking around the store trying to find something unique.

The bell above the door rang and Caleb came running in. 'What's takin' you so long Lucas, I'm starvin'...Merly?' he asked confused.

Merlyn sighed and rolled her eyes, she did not want to deal with her brother right now. 'Yes I'm here and I'm workin', so back off Caleb'

Caleb did not understand why his sister was in a bad mood and looked at Lucas who just shrugged, he put it down to another incident of a girl overreacting and started to look around the store. He knew Lucas had come in here to find something nice for Gail, as they were late getting home and he thought this would go quicker if he helped.

Merlyn went back to reading her book, then began to get agitated at the sound of ornaments being picked up and put back down again. 'You know there's nothin' in this part of the store that she would like, so what are you still doin' here?' she asked irritated.

'Well I don't know about the boy, but I was waitin' for the store assistant to offer some assistance...or is the purpose of a store assistant not to assist?' Lucas asked sarcastically.

Merlyn sighed and slammed the book closed. 'If it get's you outta my hair then I'll happily assist...Seen as you think you know your girlfriend so well, I assume your up on what she likes to do in her spare time?'

Lucas smiled devilishly and approached the counter so Caleb could not hear them. 'Considerin' I'm one of the things she most enjoys doin' in her spare time, I guess I'd say I am up on it' he said and laughed when he saw the look of disgust on her face.

'What are you two whisperin' about?' Caleb asked approaching the pair.

'Nothin'...' Merlyn said abruptly and pushed the book towards Lucas, '...there, just take it and go'

Lucas glanced at the book again and nodded in approval, it appeared Merlyn Ann was beginning to know her cousin after all. 'That'd be perfect Missy, put it on my tab...' he said picking up the book and starting to walk out of the store, '...Oh and tell that cousin of yours dinner will be at my place and we'll be havin' guests, so she might wanna hurry on down'

Merlyn watched as he left the store and gave Caleb a warm wave as he followed, she truly hated that man and hoped Gail would come to her senses about him sooner rather than later.

* * *

Gail drove to the Buck Mansion with Merlyn in the front passenger seat, she had come straight away after the girl had called her to relay Lucas's message and became curious as to why he was entertaining guests at this home. She parked down the street as she usually did, in the hopes that no-one would know they were together and got out of the car.

'Why do I have to come here?' Merlyn asked sulking.

'Because the boy in our family has betrayed us today, which has given Lucas a reason to drag me here and I'm not suffering alone...' Gail said linking Merlyn's arm and pulling her towards the side gate. '...Besides, aren't you the least bit curious about what he's up to?'

Merlyn let out a loud sigh, she had wondered who he was entertaining and why Caleb was going along with it. 'Maybe a little...but I don't like this'

'Oh suck it up' Gail laughed and entered the Buck Mansion.

The sound of music instantly caught her ears and she followed it to the dining room with Merlyn gripping her arm protectively. When they entered the room they saw Caleb sat with Ben Jr and Ben with Rita at the head of the table, Gail looked around suspiciously for Lucas and Rita nodded towards the kitchen. Merlyn would not let go of her arm so they both headed towards the kitchen and grimaced when they saw four gutted fish on the kitchen counter.

'I thought you two were never gonna show up' Lucas said washing his hands in the sink.

Gail peeled Merlyn's hand off her arm and approached him cautiously. 'What is this Lucas?' she asked, reluctantly glancing at the fish bones and then turning away from them.

'This is dinner Darlin'...we caught 'em so you lovely ladies get to cook 'em'

'I ain't touchin' or eatin' that!' Merlyn said in disgust.

Gail held a hand up to silence the girl and regarded Lucas suspiciously. 'Oh is that how this works? What part of me projects boring house wife to you?'

Lucas laughed then grabbed her hips and pulled her to him. 'The part that doesn't wanna disappoint the little boy in there, who was so proud of himself for catching dinner for his family'

Gail placed her hands on his chest in an attempt to keep some space between them and sighed. 'You're an ass, now get out of my kitchen' she said sternly and went to find an apron.

Merlyn watched Lucas regard her smugly as he left the kitchen and turned towards her cousin. 'Are you seriously gonna give in to what he wants?'

'What choice do I have? Unless you're happy with upsetting your brother?' she said reaching for a paper bag to put the bloody fish bones in, she had always hated fish and never understood how people could just gut them then eat them.

'Of course not' Merlyn sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.

'Am I interruptin'? Rita asked entering the kitchen.

'Nope, but apparently I'm busy cooking for us all so I can't talk much' Gail said cautiously reaching for the fish bones.

'Give that here...' Rita laughed and took the bag off her, '...my daddy used to bring home supper all the time and this never bothered me'

'Well I certainly won't turn down the help...' Gail smiled and rummaged in the cupboards for some vegetables, '...M why don't you start peeling the potatoes so we can get this over with?'

Merlyn sighed and shook her head, she did not want to be in this place any longer than she had to; therefore, decided to help without further argument.

* * *

Lucas sat with Ben drinking a beer and watching the three woman chat on his couch. 'See Ben, it ain't so hard to bring them around'

Ben glanced at Rita who appeared to be in a good mood, it had been the first time in a week that he had seen a genuine smile on her face. 'I don't know about that Lucas, but thanks for a stress free evening...I suppose I better get Ben Jr back to Barbara Joy before she sends out a search party for him'

Lucas stood up with Ben and patted him on the back. 'I told you not to worry about Barbara Joy Ben...why don't you keep him at your place tonight and we'll deal with his mother in the mornin'?'

Ben somehow knew this was not a suggestion and nodded obediently, then called for Ben Jr and Rita to get ready. Before he could leave the study Gail approached him and he smiled warmly at her. 'Thanks for cookin' for us Gail'

Gail smiled at Ben then shot Lucas an irritated glance. 'I didn't really have much of a choice...Now listen, I don't wanna get involved in anything but I suggest you talk to your girlfriend'

'Why? Is everythin' alright?' he asked concerned.

'I'm sure it is, but talk to her Ben and do it sooner rather than later' she said and patted him on the back reassuringly, as he followed Caleb who led his family out of the room.

'Well that was ominous' Lucas whispered in her ear.

'That's not my problem, I've done my part as his friend...' she sighed, '...Aren't you going to see your guests out?'

'Nah, it looks like the children have seen to that' he said moving towards the bottle of wine on the table and pouring them both a glass.

'Lucas I can't, I have to drive' she protested as he handed her the glass.

'Just one glass ain't gonna harm you...come on Darlin', you can't leave me drinkin' on my own' he said persuasively.

Gail shook her head at her own weakness and took the glass from him. 'You're a bad influence Sheriff'

'You wouldn't have me any other way Miss Emory' he said and they toasted their glasses.

Merlyn returned to the study with Caleb to find her cousin drinking a glass of wine, she was beginning to think she was the only person in this family with any common sense. 'Gail!' she explained, judging her cousins actions.

'Oh shush, it's only one glass...besides, Caleb doesn't look ready to leave yet' she said giving her cousin a hug as he walked past her.

Caleb rushed to his spot by the fire and signaled for his sister to join him. 'Can we give it her now?'

'Give who what?' Gail asked curiously.

'Patience Miss Emory, all good things to those who wait' Lucas said taking a large sip of his wine and pulling her towards the couch.

Merlyn rolled her eyes at this happy family display and sat down next to her brother, she could not believe everyone was falling for Lucas's innocent act and it was beginning to irritate her.

Gail got Merlyn's attention discreetly and winked at her knowingly, she was not fooled by this display; however, as per one of Lucas's favorite sayings, you catch more flies with honey than you do vinegar and she did not mind playing along if it got him trusting her more. 'I can't be very patient knowing my poor dog is starving at home Sheriff'

'Rocky's in the other room Gail, we stopped by for him earlier' Caleb said, eating some fudge Lucas had bought him.

Gail forced a smile and turned her attention towards Lucas. 'So you thought of everything huh?'

Lucas shrugged and moved her wine glass towards her mouth. 'Drink up Miss Emory, you've got nothin' to do now but relax' he said stroking her leg while Caleb was not looking.

Gail took a large sip of her wine, then passed the glass to Merlyn. 'You might want some of this, it appears we may be staying the night'

'Can we?' Caleb asked excitedly.

Gail glanced towards Merlyn for her input and watched as the girl downed the remaining half a glass of wine. 'I'll assume that's a yes' she said and reached for the glass, giving Merlyn an apologetic look.

'Well that's settled...' Lucas said stroking her back gently, '...Why don't you go get your cousins present son, that way we can settle for the night'

* * *

Merlyn sat shivering on the side porch with a glass of wine half topped with lemonade and Rocky asleep at her feet, her cousin knew her feelings about staying here and this is why she was allowing her to drink. To be fair Gail had been watching her like a hawk and she was not allowing her to drink too much, just enough to dull her anger. The men in this town had no problem giving their boys alcohol at a fairly young age, so Merlyn did not see a problem with her drinking now.

'That glass has more lemonade in it than wine, so I wouldn't class that as drinking 'Gail said as she sat down on a chair and took a sip of her glass of wine.

'Why are you makin' me stay here?' Merlyn asked moodily.

'I'm not making you do anything...if you really want to go, I'll leave with you' Gail said leaning down and stroking Rocky.

Merlyn thought for a moment, then turned fully towards her cousin. 'And Caleb?'

Gail shrugged, 'He's made it clear where he wants to stay tonight...I can't force him to change his mind'

Merlyn stood up angrily and walked towards the porch rail. 'Why don't you just leave him?'

Gail sighed knowing she was not referring to Caleb, then stood up and approached the girl. 'Because I know what he's capable of and I get the feeling that you do to'

'So you're scared?'

Gail laughed and shook her head. 'Not for me, I can protect myself and my family just fine'

Merlyn sighed, she could not understand why Gail would allow herself to be with a person she knew was dangerous to others.

'You need to stop concerning yourself with who I choose to align myself with and start concentrating on yourself...' Gail said returning back to her seated position and picking up her drink, '...How was your day with Abe?'

Merlyn did not like that Gail could read her thoughts, but at least it meant they did not have any secrets. 'He's stubborn like someone else I know, but it was fine' she said sitting back down.

'Stubborn is an understatement...' Gail laughed, '...Well he's asked if you would stay on and help with the store, providing it doesn't interfere with your school work. He's even offered to pay you a small wage, how do you feel about that?'

Merlyn was speechless, she did not think Abe liked her much and this offer was a shock. 'He's offerin' me a job?'

'If you want it'

Merlyn considered this for a moment, accepting would mean she would not be able to keep an eye on her family as much as she wanted to. 'I don't know...what are your thoughts?'

Gail shrugged and took a large sip of her wine. 'Personally I think it would be good for you, it means you could get out of the house and start experiencing life. You'll get out of it whatever you want...you could either just do the bare minimum to help out and get paid, or you could take advantage of your position and learn from an experiencing man with plenty of alternative literature'

Merlyn nodded, 'I suppose it gives me something to do and I could do my schoolwork in the store'

Gail smiled and placed her hand affectionately on Merlyns leg. 'Great, I'll let Abe know...Now come on, it's getting late and way past your bedtime'

Merlyn stood up with Gail and gave Rocky a gentle nudge. 'Are you gonna go to Lucas now?' she asked judgmentally.

Gail sighed and placed her arm around Merlyn in an attempt to warm her up. 'I'm gonna do whatever I want as a consenting adult, you don't need to worry about it as it has no detriment to you'

Merlyn sighed and leaned in closer to her cousin as she led her inside. She wished she could shake her and force her to come to her senses; however, part of her knew the repercussions of Gail actually leaving Lucas would be disastrous for a lot people.

-To be continued-


	4. Chapter 4

Merlyn Temple woke up at approximately 7:30am after a night of broken sleep, her head was pounding with a dull ache and she was fully aware that she was still in Lucas's domain. After Gail had walked her to the spare room, she had promised she would be on her best behavior and had gone straight to sleep. Now that she was awake she realized this place had an evil presence that she could not ignore any longer; therefore, she had decided to quickly dress and leave to return to her own home.

Merlyn had heard Rocky quietly scratching from inside Caleb's room, she slowly opened the door to release her trusted companion and rolled her eyes at her brother who was sound asleep in the kingsize bed. Usually Merlyn would not condone leaving her brother with Lucas and she knew she would started to feel guilty for just abandoning her family on her way back to Gail's house; however, they had made their own choice and Gail had told last night that she should to start being concerned with herself rather than others. It felt unnatural for her to behave like this but her cousin was right, it was time that she started to focus on herself and leave the worrying to the adults in her life.

When she exited the property of Lucas Buck the unease she was feeling instantly disappeared and the dull ache in her head began to subside. It was evident that something in that place did not want her there and she had no problem heeding it's wishes.

* * *

Lucas was awoken by the sound of his front door closing and the sense that someone had left, he smiled to himself knowing Merlyn had chosen to leave her family with him and glanced at Gail who was sleeping peacefully on his chest. He closed his eyes and stretched his senses to the room down the hall to confirm his son was still sleeping, then gently rolled Gail over on her back and moved beneath the covers.

He was fully aware that Gail had conflicting feelings about him after what had happened the previous month and that she was trying to hide these feelings, so not to cause a reaction from him; however, he did not care as this was who he was and she was aware of that. She had made it clear to him on a number of occasions that she knew what he was capable of and although her moods may have fluctuated over the past few months, she was still here in his bed with him and that was evidence enough that he owned her.

When he reached the bottom of the bed, he gently removed her night shorts and stroked his hands gently up her legs. He pushed her legs apart slowly then nuzzled his face into her sweet spot and inhaled deeply. His unnatural craving for this part of her consumed him so much that he could not help but take in her natural sweet scent and an overwhelming need to taste her came over him.

Gail was awoken by the intense pleasure which shot through her body at the feel of Lucas's tongue licking her, she had managed to persuade him to allow her to go straight to sleep once she had seen Merlyn off to bed last night; however, it appeared there was no chance of him respecting her wishes this morning. She went to protest this act but her body betrayed her and she let out a soft moan, she felt him smile then he began to nip and play with his tongue.

Lucas sensed her desire for him and her acceptance of this act; therefore, he continued to play with her and made her unravel with his tongue. When he was satisfied from her load moans that she had reached her climax, he pulled himself on top of her fully and moved up the bed. She pushed the covers down to reveal his head and he lifted off her vest, then began to lick and suck her breasts.

'We need to stop behaving like this with the children here' she panted, trying to sound stern but failing.

'There's only one child here and he's fast asleep Darlin'' he said between breathes and nipped at her breasts playfully.

'What do you mean?' Gail asked pulling him up to her fully.

Lucas did not want to talk about Merlyn Ann right now so he just thrust his hard manhood inside of her and smiled triumphantly as she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. He knew she could not resist him and took pride in how easily he made her forget about her cousin.

Gail lost her train of thought due to the intense pleasure that shot through her when he entered her, the feeling of him inside of her was exquisite and it was taking all of her strength not to call out as he thrust in and out of her. She gently scratched her nails down his back and smiled when he let out a load moan, then he brought his lips down onto hers. She knew she had the same effect on him as he did on her and the lack of control was mutual.

Lucas kissed her passionately and slowed his movements, he wanted to savor every moment of this as he never knew when her mood was going to change and she would deny him. He sensed her inner guard waiver and began to be more tender with his touch. He kissed her neck softly and gently pushed himself deeper inside of her, pausing momentarily each time he reached the furthest point within her.

Gail buried her head into his chest and bit his skin to stifle her moans, she could handle his roughness and even craved it at times; however, when he started to be tender like this her resolve began to melt away and she felt her soul begin to betray her. 'Stop it Lucas' she panted, trying to regain some control.

Lucas smiled against her neck, then lifted his head and kissed her lips softly. 'Shush love...just enjoy this' he whispered.

Gail felt her climax slowly building within her, she did not want to accept him this way; however, she could not fight her feelings for him when the pleasure he gave her was this intense and cursed herself for being so easily controlled.

Lucas sensed her acceptance and used all of his strength to keep his movements slow and steady. This was the way in with her, he knew that now and although his instincts were screaming for him to take her hard, he would not give in and would enjoy this victory. He felt both of their climax's rising and pulled her closer to him, he forced his lips onto hers when her release came and tried to stifle his moans when he exploded within her.

They kissed passionately for a few long moments, then Gail pushed his head away from hers and he lay down on her chest. 'You're a bastard' she whispered and took a deep breath to get some much needed air into her lungs.

Lucas smiled then cupped her bare breast gently in his hand and started stroking her nipple with his thumb playfully. 'I might just be Darlin', but you wouldn't change me...' he said knowingly, '...Why don't you and Caleb just move in here? It would save a lot of hassle for the boy'

Gail laughed and pulled his hand off her breast. 'Because you and I would never get out of bed...Besides, just cause I wouldn't change you doesn't mean I approve of what you are, or trust you with my cousin'

Lucas smiled and propped himself up using his elbow. 'Whether you approve or not it doesn't matter...I know you've realized that boy will make up his own mind and when he chooses me I will fight you for custody'

Gail considered this for a moment, then pushed him down and climbed on top of him so she was straddling him. 'I'm confident my cousin is smarter than you seem to realize and I won't give him up without a fight, so bring it on Sheriff' she said defiantly and smiled when he gripped her hips.

'Gail?...' Caleb called and knocked on the door gently, '...Are you in there?'

'You've gotta be kidding me' Lucas said quietly then shook his head in frustration when Gail rolled off him and got out of the bed.

Gail pulled on her shorts and vest, then put on one of Lucas's robes. 'Welcome to the world of parenthood...' she said sarcastically then opened the door just enough so she could see her cousin, '...I'm here, is everything OK?'

Caleb tried to peer through the door nosily then turned his full attention to his cousin when she shielded the room. 'Merly's not here, where'd she go?' he asked concerned.

Lucas pulled the door open and stood behind Gail in a dark blue robe. 'She decided to go home when she woke up son, there's nothin' to worry about...' he said reassuringly, '...Why don't you go get ready for school and I'll swing you by on the way so you can check in on her?'

Caleb nodded, 'Alright...can I have somethin' to eat first?' he asked Gail.

Gail rolled her eyes in exasperation, she did not know why it was always assumed that she would be cooking for everyone and she did not like playing the well behaved housewife. 'You can pick up breakfast from somewhere on your way in to school, I'll go home and check on her...I expect you to remain in school today Caleb'

Caleb noticed that although Gail had accepted who his sister really was, he had never heard her call her by her real name. He supposed it was hard for Gail after going for so long believing his sister was dead, then suddenly finding out she was alive again; however, she did seem to be trying to act like everything was normal and she spent a lot of time with Merly which indicated she thought of her as part of their family. 'Alright cous', I won't make any trouble for you' he said giving her a hug, then headed back to his room to change.

When Caleb was back in his room, Lucas closed the door and pushed her gently against it. 'I thought you might stay here for a little while until I got back, then we could have some uninterrupted fun' he said reaching into her robe and pulling her to him.

'Now now Sheriff, we have jobs to get to and it wouldn't be very fair if I made my cousin promise to stay in school when I missed work now would it?'

Lucas smiled then removed his robe to reveal his naked body and his hard manhood. 'So we'll all stay home today and I'll make sure the boy stays busy downstairs on his own for a few hours...I'm sure he'd rather that than a boring day listening to Selena' Lucas said nuzzled his head into her neck affectionately.

Gail shook her head and got free of his grasp. 'What kind of guardian would I be if I allowed that? Now go and get dressed, you've got a little boy to take to school'

Lucas sighed and watched as she started to get dressed, he suppose he should act like a responsible adult if he wanted to prove he could take care of his boy.

* * *

Ben sat in his police cruiser stopped at a red light, staring out into the road in a haze. After he had gotten home last night he had confronted Rita about what was bothering her at Gail's suggestion and she had burst into tears. At first he thought he had done something wrong; however, then she opened up and confessed she was pregnant with his child. It appeared she was scared to tell him as she did not fully understand how she felt herself, so Ben had just held her reassuringly until she fell asleep. Now that he was alone he was unsure how he felt about the whole situation and could feel his heart sinking.

The traffic light turned green and the car remained stationary at the front of the queue. The cars behind him began to beep their horns; however, Ben was lost to the world and could not hear a thing, until the passenger side of the cruiser opened and Merlyn Temple casually got in.

'Well what are you waitin' for silly, drive!' Merlyn ordered and smiled when the car began to move. After she returned home to change, she had chosen to wander the streets with Rocky in an attempt to clear her head. She had been walking for over an hour when she happened on Ben seemingly frozen in his police cruiser and when he did not respond to her tapping his window, she just opened the back door of the car and put Rocky in then proceeded to get into the front seat.

Ben was confused but he was taken out of his haze, the sounds of the horns behind him caused him to put his foot on the gas pedal and speed away. 'Merlyn what are you doin' this far away from Gail's?'

Merlyn shrugged, 'Just walkin' and thinkin'...It appears you're lost in contemplation too'

Ben sighed, he had been living a perfectly simple life for years until this young lady came into it. He supposed it was good that she had opened his eyes to the horrors surrounding him, as his old life was not really living; however, sometimes he missed being oblivious and the uncomplicated way things used to be. 'I wish I had nothin' to contemplate...why does everythin' have to be so damn complicated?' he asked.

Merlyn laughed and opened the window to allow some fresh air in the car. 'You think your life is complicated? I'm back from the dead living with my cousin, who is in a relationship with the guy who killed me and I just came from a sleepover that I was forced to have at said murderer's mansion last night...There's always someone worse off than you Ben, you should remember that'

Ben glanced at Merlyn sympathetically, then burst out laughing. 'Alright, you win. I guess your problems are a little stranger than mine...How are you holdin' up with everythin'?'

'I'm still alive and kickin'' she said and reached back to stroke Rocky on the back seat.

'Well you certainly are that...' Ben laughed and watched this caring girl play with the dog in his car, '...You know what? I'm starvin', you wanna go for a bite to eat?'

'I think I'd like that Deputy' Merlyn said smiling, she had not spent much time with Ben since she had become whole again and he was the one person who could make her forget about her troubles.

'Well good...' Ben nodded and turned the car towards town, '...let's go see what grub we can find'

* * *

Gail walked casually around the garden of the Buck Manson holding a mug of herbal tea, she had initially intended on returning home to check in on Merlyn; however, when she called her earlier the girl appeared fine and stated she just wanted some time to herself, so Gail had decided to honor her request and remain here for a little while longer. The little while had turned into hours, she had expected Lucas to somehow sense she was still here and return to his domain, but there was no sign of the master Buck returning so she had made herself at home and was enjoying the peacefulness.

Gail had initially sat in Lucas's study reviewing the photo she had found of the mysterious man and her family, she knew there was a connection and Selena's reaction had confirmed that; however, she was beginning to get impatient with how slow her investigations were going. She had a few leads which potentially linked to Lucas, but the curious R.B kept floating around her subconscious and she was beginning to think she had her priorities wrong.

She had found the initials R.B carved into the fountain out back, the gravestone hidden at the back of the property and on a ring she had stumbled across in the house. Although she was curious about Lucas and his family, she wondered whether she was straying too far away from her initial line of inquiry. It was the strange dark presence inside her which had initially led her to the mysterious R.B, she appeared to have just accepted the presence rather than pursuing the matter further and had even named it Rosemary. Gail was not one to let her fear control her course of action; however, it appeared she may have actually done that in this instance rather than delving deeper, as she had previously not been sure she could handle what she found.

Gail had decided to fully let go of her resistance and fear so she could open herself up to this place. She could not deny the presence here and chose to see where it would lead her. So far she had been guided to the garden she loved so much and just strolled through it admiring it's beauty, Gideon had appeared as he usually did when she was alone here and her trusted guardian was walking along beside her.

Dull clouds formed quickly overhead and Gail felt small drops of rain gently landing on her skin, she held her free hand up to the sky then smiled as the drops of rain became heavy and started tickling her skin as they rolled off her palm. The wind picked up and blew her long brown hair, between the wind and the rain it was clear she should return indoors; however, she was not ready to leave this sanctuary just yet.

Gail felt herself being drawn towards the back of the house, she drank the remainder of her tea before placing the mug down by a tree and allowing herself to be guided around the side of the house. A feeling of unease stirred within her; however, she just took a deep breath and forced it away. She would not be scared or held back any longer, all she ever seemed to find was more questions and it was time she opened herself up for some answers.

When something within Gail made her stop Gideon nipped at her jeans and pulled her past the fountain. She had been warned by Lucas to stay away from this section of his property; however, she was drawn to it and something was calling to her beyond the thick grass that was guarding the end of the property.

Rosemary stirred within her and tried to take control, but Gail again pushed that part of herself deep down and following Gideon to the trees at the back of the property. She allowed herself a glance at the gravestone she had uncovered when she had came this far previously, then took a deep breath and continued to move forward. She disregarded the strong feeling of being watched and focused on Gideon ahead, whispers came from all around her causing shivers to surge through her body; however, she just continued to take deep breaths to calm her nerves and put her trust in her guardian before her.

The wind speed increased when Gail reached the trees at the end of the property and the rain became torrential, the large drops of rain felt as though they were burning her skin so she rushed into the trees for some shelter. The trees were so large that they blocked out the sky above and her resolve began to waiver, the whispers all around her became louder and she instinctively reached into her pocket then felt the talisman she had initially found in the old Wicka store in Goat Town. As she pulled it out of her pocket she instantly felt at ease and gripped it tight.

Gail glanced behind her to confirm the Buck Mansion was still present before continuing on into what appeared to be a small forest, she was baffled as to how she had never noticed this place before and put it down to Lucas's property being deceiving in size. She was relieved when she spotted a clearing and rushed towards the light, when she stepped out into the field her jaw dropped open and she stared in horror at what was before her.

* * *

Lucas was driving around town in his navy blue Crown Victoria car contemplating his next move, it had worked out well for him last night with Caleb and Gail; however, he was starting to become impatient with the length of time it was taking for them to fully come to him. Merlyn was definitely a problem; although Caleb and Gail accepted she had left his home of her own accord and they had stayed for a little while without her, he knew they both appeared to value that girl and she may attempt to prolong their transition towards him.

It was clear that he could not kill Merlyn, the time had long passed for that course of action and he had no doubt that Gail would sense it. He wondered whether he could distract her with a boy, that had worked fairly well previously and he believed all girls could be swayed by a good or bad boy depending on their mood. It would be tricky with how much time Gail spent with her; however, he was confident he could figure something out.

Lucas felt a wave of unease flow through him and he pulled the car over, he did not like the unexpected interruption and closed his eyes to stretch out his minds eye to find the cause of the disturbance. Strangely nothing untoward showed itself to him and he began to become suspicious, he closed his eyes again and sensed Caleb in school; however, when he tried to locate Gail he came up with nothing.

Gail had unconsciously shielded herself from him previously when she had chosen to close herself off to him; however, they had been intimate this morning which meant there was an open connection between them and it was concerning that he was unable to sense her. Lucas turned his car around and headed for the Trinity Guardian building, he did not know what was going on but he felt a strong need to locate his love.

-To be continued-


	5. Chapter 5

Merlyn smiled to herself as she opened the front door to her home and let Rocky off his lead, Ben had allowed her to keep him company while he was out on patrol and she had a great afternoon. They had been out longer than she had intended and thought Gail would tell her off for not returning home sooner; however, she was not greeted by anyone.

Merlyn walked into the downstairs living room and saw Caleb sat watching their large television. 'Hey you, what time's dinner gonna be done?' she asked, not smelling anything cooking.

Caleb kept his focus firmly on the program he was watching and just shrugged. 'I dunno, I've not seen Gail since you left us this mornin' and she said she was gonna check on you'

Merlyn thought back to this morning, she had spoken to Gail on the telephone and told her she needed some space. Everything was left fine and there was no mention of Gail being annoyed; however, it was past 5:00pm and her cousin should have checked in with one of them by now, which indicated something was going on. 'Haven't you seen her at all Caleb? Who got you from school?'

Caleb sighed and paused his program, he could not concentrate with his sisters incessant questions. 'No I've not seen her Merly, have you? No one was there when I finished school so I just walked home'

'Lucas wasn't there either?' she asked curiously, usually he would not miss a chance to spend more time with Caleb when Gail was distracted.

'Nope...' Caleb said standing up and patting the top of his legs for Rocky to jump up for a stroke, '...last I heard Gail was gonna come find you and Lucas was gonna try to get some work done on his own. Are you gonna cook our dinner?'

Merlyn forced a smile, she did not want her concern to show as worrying her brother would not help any situation. 'I ain't no cook...you go do your homework and I'm sure Gail will be back soon to sort food out. She'll go crazy if your schoolwork isn't done'

Caleb pulled his tongue out at his sister at the mention of his homework and went to find his school book. She was right and he did not want to give Gail cause to be annoyed at him.

Merlyn pulled her tongue back at him and patted him on the back when he walked past her with his homework book, when he had gone upstairs she pulled out her mobile phone and began searching through the numbers Gail had saved. Being this worried was a little premature; however, she had a bad feeling deep within her stomach and calling her cousins friends to see if they had heard from her would not hurt anyone.

* * *

Selena sat down at her kitchen table grading some papers completed by her class, it was 6:30pm and she had poured herself a large glass of wine to help her relax. She had not had a hard day, but trying to teach some restless students in her class was becoming tedious and she needed to work out her frustrations.

'I'm sure I can come up with a few suggestions teacher' Lucas said, leaning against the back door.

Selena looked up from the paper she was marking in shock, Lucas had not been in her home for a long time and this was certainly a surprised. 'Careful Sheriff, we wouldn't want the lovely Miss Emory to hear your suggestions' she said sarcastically and got up from her seated position to meet him.

Lucas laughed and approached her dominantly. 'I know you wouldn't want her mistakin' my visit for anythin' more than a friendly chat, not after what happened the last time she thought you were comin' on to me'

Selena stared at him distrustfully, she did not need another unexpected dip in the Trinity River and after the last vicious turn of Gail she would be more cautious when it came to her feelings for the man before her. 'If I remember correctly that bad mood of hers was directed at you as well as me, now what do you want Lucas?'

Lucas admired Selena's toned legs which were fully on show due to the short shirt she was wearing, he would never do more than look while he was with Gail; however, it was hard to deny her beauty, especially when he knew what she was capable of. 'Calm down Darlin', I'm not here to cause friction between you and your new BFF...' he said giving her toned body a final glance then turned his attention to the problem at hand, '...I'm just wonderin' when the last time you saw her was?'

Selena smiled, she had noticed the way Lucas had been looking at her and it had made her feel good. 'Oh have you misplaced your sweetheart Sheriff?' she asked playfully.

'No...' he lied, '...but you forget I've got ears everywhere, is there anythin' you care to confess Darlin'?'

Selena's smile disappeared when she caught glimpse of his menacing look and knew better than to play games when his manner changed like this. 'I haven't done anything Lucas, I'm still loyal so you point that accusing tone at someone else'

Lucas smiled knowingly, he had not been able to locate Gail; however, his senses told him that Selena had done something, he just could not put his finger on it. 'Loyal you say...' he said stalking her around the kitchen, '...It's funny how you automatically get on the defensive when I haven't actually accused you of anythin', you wanna try that again?'

Selena kept backing away from him but he kept moving slowly towards her. 'I have nothing to confess Lucas...Gail might have come around asking questions about a picture or something, but I didn't say anything'

Lucas stopped and considered for a moment. 'What picture?'

'I don't know...an old one' she shrugged, not wanting to betray Gail either.

'Oh now come on Selena, we go way back and you know I'm more dangerous than she is...Are you really gonna test me here?' he asked impatiently.

Selena glanced at the clock, which confirmed Billy was not due home for another 30 minutes so it appeared she was stuck here on her own. She had been sensing something different in Gail which made her not want to mess with her; however, she knew exactly what Lucas was capable of and he was the bigger predator around here. 'Fine! I didn't recognize everyone in the picture but your old friend Abraham was there and a man I've not seen in years...She was asking about people my father would have known Lucas, religious people'

Lucas narrowed his eyes and stared at her in confusion, then he realized what she was hinting at. 'Bitch!' he snapped.

Selena laughed nervously, she had never seen Lucas this angry at his beloved Gail Emory. 'Oh Darlin', it's a shame you chose to let a Reporter into your life...it's in her nature to keep digging'

Lucas inhaled deeply in an attempt to hide his irritation, he had thought he was past the scrutiny from Gail; however, it appeared prying into his past was in her blood and it felt as though Peter Emory was getting his revenge from beyond the grave with his daughters relentless pursuit of the truth.

Selena was amused by his failed attempt to hide his anger, she knew him and there was not much he could hide from her. 'Calm down Lucas...I didn't give her anything solid, she just caught some a little recollection in my eyes'

'You let her know you recognized him?' Lucas snapped angrily then stormed up to her and gripped her neck.

'I was caught of guard Lucas! How was I supposed to know she was going to show me a picture with your father in it? I thought you covered all your tracks' she said through hoarse breaths and tried to pry his hand off her neck.

Lucas released his grip and began to pace the kitchen, he had covered his tracks well and even Selena did not know much about her family. He had gotten rid of all records relating to his parents and Selena would only recognize his father from the very few times he spoke in public with Reverend Coombs. He was confident that Gail would hit another dead end; however, he was becoming more concerned that she was shielded from him and the only way that could happen was if she had help.

Selena spotted the calculating look on her ex-lover then walked to the back door and opened it. 'I told you all I know, now get out Lucas' she said calmly, being careful not to cause his rage to turn on her again.

Lucas continued to pace for a moment, then stared at Selena. 'You'll do well to remember who you're loyal to Selena' he said and walked out of her house.

Selena let out a sigh of relief and locked the door when he left. She was glad that he was taking his rage elsewhere and did not envy Gail at this moment in time.

* * *

Merlyn sat on the edge of Gail's bed playing with her hands, it was after 8:00pm and there was still no sign of her cousin so she was starting to get worried. Merlyn had assured Caleb that Gail was probably just caught up with work; however, she had called the Trinity Guardian office earlier and no one had seen her all day. It was not like her cousin to go for so long without checking in with someone, she liked them to be in a routine and she would not have forgotten when they were due to have dinner.

Merlyn had made the mistake of contacting Matt at work, as soon as he guessed Gail was missing he had come straight over and was sitting in the living room trying to figure out where she could be. They were going to call the Sheriff's Station, then both of them came to their senses and decided they would be better dealing with this themselves.

Merlyn had been pacing the living room with Matt then something within her had been drawn to Gail's bedroom, which resulted in her sitting on her cousins bed now. She had been in here for half an hour and was not sure how this was supposed to help; however, she felt as though she should stay. Merlyn closed her eyes and prayed to her fallen family for guidance, she suddenly felt a darkness within the pit of her stomach and her head was forced in the direction of Gail's bedside cabinet.

What she felt was alien to her, she suspected it was not the family she had grown accustomed to when she was dead that was trying to help and was unsure whether to trust to dark feeling. Her distrust disappeared when she instinctively opened the top draw and was drawn to the ring hidden at the back, she had stumbled across this ring the previous month and glanced at the initials engraved on it. 'R.B' she said aloud and turned the ring over in her hand.

A shimmer of light appeared in front of her then she felt a sharp pain surge through her head, which caused her to drop the ring. She called out in agony and collapsed on the bed clutching her head, the pain she felt was excruciating and she could not understand what was causing it.

Matt rushed in to the bedroom with Caleb and quickly went to Merlyn's side. Caleb walked instinctively to the beside cabinet and picked up the ring, he looked at it curiously for a moment then placed it at the back of the draw and closed it before turning his concern to his sister. He did not understand why, but something within him had indicated the ring needed to be hidden and he could not resist placing it out of sight.

* * *

Lucas entered his domain and slammed the front door behind him in frustration, he had searched everywhere for Gail without being able to locate her and this disappearing act was really beginning to bother him. He had even visited Abe and the Mayor's wife, who had previously been friends with Gail and all that seemed to do was cause them both to worry.

He knew Gail had not returned home, as his minds eye clearly showed Matt Crower at her house with the children. She had not been to work or visited Ben, she had been avoiding being alone with Billy as per his instruction and she was not with Selena. It was as though she was no longer in Trinity; however, he had no doubt that he would have sensed it if she had tried to leave. She had tried that once before and he was there instantly to stop her.

No, this was a mystery and the only place left that he had not searched was his own domain. Lucas had been the master here for decades and he had an understanding with the forces at play here; however, they had betrayed him before and sided with Caleb to destroy his unborn child, so he knew there were rogue spirits here. Gail's meddling mutt Gideon was clearly something of a rogue element and he had not seen the mutt either, which indicated to him that she may have stumbled across something that required some protection. That dog appeared to show up whenever she needed protection and the fact that both were missing made him feel uneasy.

Lucas took off his jacket then headed to his study, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath to clear his thoughts. A flashing image of Gail in his garden plagued his thoughts and he smiled, he supposed that was as good a place as any to start; therefore, he headed outside and began to walk slowly around the garden. This was Gail's favorite part of his property and it made sense that she would be out here if she required some quiet, he knew she saw his garden as a sanctuary and she would come here often to be alone.

As he walked around the garden he spotted something small on the ground by a large tree, it was an empty mug which appeared to be abandoned on the floor. He picked it up and a flash surged through his brain of Gail placing the mug on the ground and following Gideon to the back of his property. Lucas sighed and shook his head in exasperation, he had warned her of the dangers of being alone in that part of his property and it was not explored often even by him. His heart began to pound in his chest and he rushed around the side of the house and stopped at the fountain. 'Gail?!' he called loudly, but no-one answered.

Lucas suddenly felt a presence in the garden with him and he surveyed his surroundings, he had lived with a lot of intruding presences in the past; however, this one felt different. 'Don't you know who I am?' he spoke calmly with an air of dominance and felt himself drawn to the back of the garden, he was not the type of person to be scared and he embraced all that came with living in this property.

As he took a few curious steps forward to confront the strange presence, he heard the back door of the house open and spun around to see two small yellow eyes staring back at him. 'Oh she didn't...' he laughed to himself in disbelief and approached the door to find Gideon growling, '...Be gone mutt' he ordered and made his way back into the house.

Lucas could sense Gideon following close behind him and knew he was finally making some progress, he had been in this part of the house once before with Gail and had forbid her from snooping here especially when he was not around. He suspected where she was even before his senses could confirm it and opened the door to his old playroom. He burst into the room expecting to see her with her head in his things; however, instead he found her asleep on the floor.

Something did not feel right so he reached down and picked her up gently. He walked through the hidden passages with her unconscious body in his arms until he reached his study, then he placed her down on the couch. Gideon pushed his way past him then started howling and licking her cheek, this display did not ease Lucas's concern and he stroked her cheek gently.

Gail stirred on the couch then slowly opened her eyes to find Lucas and Gideon standing over her, she pushed herself up and stared at them both in confusion. She did not remember coming here and she felt strange, as though her skin was not her own. 'What's going on?' she asked confused.

Lucas regarded her cautiously, there was something different about her and he could not place his finger on it. 'What's goin' on is you've been in places you shouldn't have been Darlin'' he said and waited for her reaction.

Gail considered his words for a moment then laughed. 'What are you talking about Lucas?...What time is it?'

Lucas held his hand out to help her up and watched her suspiciously, he did not like what he was sensing and she appeared to have no memory of being in his old playroom. 'It's late and no-one's heard from you all day...Your dependents are worried sick about you'

Gail ran her hand through her hair and glanced at the clock on the fireplace. 'Where are they?' she asked.

'At your place...I found you here' he said approaching her.

Gail looked around the room to confirm they were alone, then felt something stir inside of her. The feeling was dark but not unpleasant and caused her to run her hands up his chest, then place them around his neck. 'So we're alone? That means I can do whatever I want to you'

Lucas allowed her to grip his neck and automatically unbuttoned her jeans, he was curious as to where she was going with this and the rage inside of him was starting to get excited. 'You can always do whatever you want to me Gail, I thought I'd made that clear previously'

Gail smiled and stared deep into his eyes then began to tighten her grip, she felt the familiar tingling between her legs and felt the darkness begin to spread inside of her. 'I want to hurt you Lucas, I mean really hurt you' she said squeezing tighter.

Lucas bit his lip seductively then smiled and raised his hand to her throat. 'I wanna hurt you too Gail, what are we gonna do about that?' he asked as he gripped her throat in his hand tightly.

Gail felt her breath become strained as his grip closed around her neck and her smile became menacing. 'I know what I'm going to do' she said removing her hands from his throat, then slapped him hard across the face and pushed him roughly down on the couch when his hands released her neck. She stepped out of her jeans and pulled off her blouse, then straddled him and placed her hands around his neck again.

Lucas sensed the change in her instantly, this was not the Gail he had become accustomed to and he would be concerned if he was not so excited by her behavior. He was initially ready to punish her for going behind his back to places she did not belong on his property; however, it appeared this little exploration had brought something out of her that he was not familiar with and he was intrigued.

He felt her grip around his neck tighten and it was getting harder to take a full breath, he was not used to being on the receiving end of this treatment and it was surprising how much he liked it. Lucas reached down to release his manhood, the desire he felt for her could not be tamed any longer and judging by her current stance it appeared she felt the same way. 'Take what you want Gail, I won't stop you...I'm yours like you are mine and whatever happens is meant to happen' he said gripping her butt cheeks and pulling her closer to him.

Gail watching him curiously, he did not attempt to remove her hands from his neck and she was beginning to wonder how far he would allow this to go. She felt something unusual come over her and started to squeeze the life out of him. When he just lay further back into the couch and allowed her to choke him, she held the grip for a moment longer then released him. 'How far would you let me go?' she asked ripping open his shirt and scratching her long nails down his chest.

'As far as you needed' he said suggestively and stroked his hands up her legs, then ran them up her body.

Gail smiled and shook her head, she did not know how she had gotten so entangled with this Adonis; however, her unnatural craving for him was stronger than ever and she needed him inside of her. She pushed off him gently and stood up, then took his hands and led him to the fireplace. She turned her back to him, lifted off her vest and placed her hands on the mantel. 'I want it hard' she whispered, stroking her nose on his when brushed her hair over her shoulder and leaned in to kiss her neck.

Lucas wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, then stroked her stomach tenderly. He did not know what had come over her but he liked it and this request of hers turned him on even more than usual. 'You've been missin' for hours Darlin', doin' god knows what...I don't even know if you can handle it hard' he whispered and nipped at her ear.

Gail let out a small laugh and bit his lip playfully. 'Of course you know...now what are you waiting for?' she goaded and pushed her behind into him.

Lucas inhaled deeply and shook his head, then pulled down her panties, parted her cheeks and thrust his hard manhood in to the forbidden spot only he had ever taken her in. He let out a loud moan at how tight she was and began to move in and out of her when he felt her push further back into him.

The pain of his entry was unpleasant for Gail; however, something deep within her craved this treatment and the more he moved, the more pleasure she began to feel. She felt him stroke her back gently and pushed further back to take him deeper within her. 'Harder' she whispered and smacked her hand down hard on the mantel in frustration.

Lucas moved his hands to her hips and gripped them tight, then began pushing in an out of her with more force. He sensed the darkness within her fighting to be released and felt his twin rise his surface, deep down he knew this was her darkness talking and decided to let his twin be free to meet with it head on. When he let go, he sensed she had done the same and began to thrust deeper within her.

Gail felt his rage surround her and let go fully, she gripped the mantel tight and called out in pain as his pounded in and out of her. When he reached his hand around to play between her legs, she knew he was trying to give her something other than the pain to focus on to ensure she was OK. The truth was she was not OK, she felt like she was being consumed by darkness and was losing herself; however, she was just as screwed up as he was and his deranged way of being tapped into something deep within her.

Lucas felt his intense orgasm building and continued to roughly thrust in and out of her, he called out in pleasure as he erupted within her and smiled when he heard her call out his name. His twin retreated back inside and he sensed her darkness fading away, so he pulled out of her and cleaned her up with a tissue then picked her up in his arms.

Gail wrapped her arms around him and kissed him passionately, she allowed him to carry her out of the study; however, when he headed towards the stairs she came to her senses. 'Put me down Lucas, the kids will be going stir crazy with worry about where I am'

Lucas sighed and went to protest but the look on her face warned against it. 'Those children can take care of themselves' he said irritated and put her down.

Gail returned to the study with Lucas following closely and began to dress, she sensed Merlyn's unease somehow and knew she needed to return to her family. When she had made herself presentable she started to leave the property, but Lucas grabbed her arm.

Lucas had been watching her closely while she was getting dressed, there was something different about her and even though he had enjoyed this little rendezvous he did not fully trust her motives. 'What were you doin' here on your own Gail?' he asked suspiciously and pulled her towards him.

Gail did not remember what she had been doing or how long she had been here for, but she felt as though she had uncovered something. She began to become curious as to why he could not sense what she had been up to, as he was very particular about always knowing what was happening in his domain. 'Oh you know, just this and that...Why don't you open up your all seeing eye and enlighten me on what I was doing?' she said baiting him and smiled when he stared at her in irritation.

'You women are gonna cause me a whole host of bother aren't you?' He sighed and stroked her cheek gently.

'We're only just beginning Sheriff' she said playfully, then pulled out of his grasp and left the property to head home to her dependents.

Lucas watched as she left and shook his head, she had uncovered something and he was sure of that; however, something here was allowing her to keep her findings hidden. He had no doubt that this would come back and bite him in the hide when he was least expecting it.

-The end-


End file.
